Tag: Poker

From the "in case you missed it" department, we recently learned the poker room at Planet Hollywood has changed locations. Thanks to reader Mario F. for the heads up and the photos.

Formerly located right in the heart of the casino floor, situated between some blackjack tables and slot
machines, the old setting wasn't as much of a poker "room" as it was a poker "area." The new location, now
sandwiched between the Earl of Sandwich (couldn't resist) and the sports book, is a bit removed from the hustle and bustle of the main casino and the result is a much calmer, quieter setting. The old location was
just feet away from the casino's raucous party pit, which gave the poker room the reputation as one of the noisiest in town after the sun went down and the go-go dancers started doing their thing. Some people don't mind a noisy room, but if you're like me, a little peace and quiet goes a long way when it comes to doing battle at the poker tables. The new room doesn't have the library-like feel of the room at the Wynn, but it is quite a bit more mellow in its new spot.

It looks like the days of poker players being able to have stacks of cash on the table alongside their chips may be coming to a close, at least at some casinos along the Strip.

Chris Grove of Online Poker Reportbroke the news last week that MGM Resorts has made the decision to no longer allow cash to play on poker tables at any of their casinos as of April 1. MGM currently operates nine poker rooms in Las Vegas. Among them are two of the most prominent rooms on the Strip at Bellagio and Aria.

There was a time in Las Vegas when cash was king. Although, chips have long been the preferred currency when it comes to table games, it was once quite common to see bets placed in the form of $100 bills. Gamblers used to be able to throw a stack of bills down on the felt, the dealer would announce "money plays," and the bet would be considered live. There is a legendary story of a player walking into Binion's Horseshoe back in the 80s with a suitcase containing $777,000 in cash, which he promptly bet on the don't pass line. He won the bet and walked out onto Fremont Street with his winnings, no questions asked.

The Mirage is building a new dream experience. We know this because it says so right on the construction wall.

Where poker was once the only name of the game will rise two new drinking spots, Center Bar and Parlor Lounge. Since an official announcement has yet to be made, here's what we can surmise from those same construction wraps:

Last-minute buzzer beaters, underdogs pulling off huge upsets, hitting that six-team parlay to make up for the money you blew at the craps table... these are all of the things that make March Madness one of the most exciting times of the year to be in Las Vegas. When you aren't busy hanging out at the sportsbook watching all of the tremendous basketball action, there will be plenty going on in the local poker rooms. Here's a look at some special tournaments series being offered this month:

Without much fanfare, Hooters closed their pokerroom area Saturday night.

The off-Strip resort debuted its small, three table offering back in 2006, right in the middle of the "poker boom" when casinos in Las Vegas and across the country were opening poker rooms left and right. Poker always seemed to be somewhat of an afterthought at Hooters, as they never really had a legitimate room, more like a sectioned off little corner of the casino devoted to the game. Despite its lack of status as a must-visit destination for card players, poker did manage to chug along at Hooters for nearly ten years. There is no word yet on what the casino has in store for the area.

One of our readers, Chris, recently asked the following question about setting up a private poker game at a Vegas casino for an upcoming trip:

Help: I'm a daily reader and appreciate the constant Vegas updates. I'm planning a July bachelor party and the groom-to-be is interested in seeing if we can reserve a few tables at one of the casinos to host 20 of us for a private poker game. I don't think I've seen a story on this but would appreciate if you could put your collective heads together.

While it's quite common to see table games such as craps, blackjack, or roulette reserved for certain players, things are a little different when it comes to poker. According to Nevada gaming laws, casinos may not specifically prevent anybody who is lawfully on the property from sitting in any poker game that is taking place in the casino. Many people see the high limit rooms such as Bobby's Room at Bellagio or Ivey's Room at Aria and presume that these are private games. This is not the case. The fact that these games take place in walled off areas of the poker room, often with security personnel lingering nearby, does not mean that your average Joe off the street can't take a seat in the game, presuming he has enough money in his pocket to meet the minimum buy-in.

There are many factors you should consider when deciding where to play poker during your time in Vegas, such as what games and stakes are offered, how much you receive per hour in comp dollars, tournament offerings, the level of competition, and so on.

Another factor that should not be overlooked is what promotions a given room offers and how much value you are likely to get out of those promotions. Most poker rooms in town offer some sort of incentive for players in the form of high hand bonuses, bad beat jackpots, "aces cracked" bonuses, or hours-based free rolls. What many people don't realize is that the house isn't giving away free money with these promotions, they are simply taking money that players have contributed to a fund and giving it back out in the form of a bonus.

It’s been almost two years since the Hard Rock made any changes to its Backstage Passplayers club so it’s time to shake things up. They’re kind enough to give a little warning so you can prepare for the changes and even jump a tier or two if you want.

Effective March 31, the invite-only Nirvana tier of Backstage Pass will be replaced with a tier called Multi-Platinum Access. The only way to receive an invitation to this level is to achieve a tier score of 300,000 in a calendar year. The General Admission, Entourage and Platinum Access tiers remain the same. New tier benefits will be announced later this year.

The World Series of Poker won't be the only big poker tournament taking place in Las Vegas this summer. For the third straight year the Hollywood Poker Open will be rolling into the M Resort for several days of action.

This year's event will run from June 25th through June 28th and will be highlighted by the $2,500 buy-in HPO championship which is estimated to have a total prize pool close to $2,000,000. Player have been qualifying for the event throughout the past year in regional events around the country, but this is an open event that anybody may participate in. Last year's championship drew 692 players and was won by Simon Deadman of the United Kingdom, who pocketed a cool $351,000 for his accomplishment.

There are a plethora of ways to spend Super Sunday in Vegas, most of which we've detailed in our Big Game Party Guide, but another way to enjoy the game is at one of the many poker rooms that are offering special promotions for the Super Bowl. Here’s a look at some of the goings-on around town this Sunday, February 1:

Excalibur

The festivities at Excalibur get running four hours prior to kick-off. All cash game players will earn raffle tickets that will be used for various drawings during the event. Every field goal will be worth $50, touchdowns will be worth $100, and a safety will reward a lucky winner with $400. One hundred bucks will be given away at the end of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd quarters, and $200 will be rewarded at the end of the 4th quarter. Should the game go into overtime, there will be a drawing for $300. Players can earn addition drawing tickets at the beginning of each quarter during the game.

Ever since the start of the "poker boom" back in 2003, when an unknown accountant from Tenessee with the unlikely name of Chris Moneymaker won the World Series of Poker, no-limit Texas Hold 'Em has been the game of choice among poker players everywhere.

It's easy to forget that, in the grand scheme of things, no-limit hold 'em is a relatively new game. If you were in Las Vegas back in the 90's or earlier, you would be much more likely to be playing a game like 7 card stud or even a variation of draw poker. While most poker players today are content playing no-limit, there are many who long for the days when this variation of the game didn't have the near monopoly it seems to have on the poker world today. The good news is, if you look hard enough, there are still places in Las Vegas where you can find some alternatives. Here's a look at some poker rooms around town that offer up a bit of variety for those looking to mix things up: